This invention relates generally to watercraft hauling apparatus and, in particular, to a lightweight, removable assembly and method for transporting pontoon boats and other vessels of the type having a hull utilizing physically separated pontoons.
The use of pontoon boats has steadily increased over the years, as more people develop lake-access property and enjoy the relaxing recreation that such watercraft provide. When it comes to transportation, however, pontoon boats are large and awkward, leading to bulky and expensive trailering requirements. The typical trailer used to transport pontoon boats is very large and heavy, constructed of structural metal members, and typically includes some form of winch mechanism to pull the boat out of the water and onto the trailer. In other words, pontoon boats are currently unloaded and loaded in much the same way as other types of smaller vessels, such as power boats, wherein the trailer is backed partially or entirely into the water, and the boat pulled onto the trailer with the winch.
Since pontoon boats are relatively large and heavy, weighing from 2,000 to 4,000 pounds, or thereabouts, conventional trailers are substantial in construction. If the conventional trailer is owned by the boater, it requires a large storage space when the boat is in the water. When the boat is out of the water, the boat may be left on the trailer, but storage space must be provided for the boat/trailer combination. If the trailer is rented, the boat must be taken off the trailer, blocked up for storage, and placed onto a trailer for loading back into the water for use. Clearly the need remains for a better solution to this problem.
This invention resides in apparatus for transporting watercraft with pontoons, commonly referred to asxe2x80x9cpontoon boats,xe2x80x9d though the invention is equally applicable to other vessels of the type having a hull utilizing physically separated pontoons. Such watercraft conventionally includes a pair of parallel, spaced-apart pontoons supported under the lower surface of a deck having a front end, each pontoon having an outer surface with a bottom portion.
The apparatus of the invention includes an axle assembly and a hitch assembly adapted for use with a tow vehicle having a ball hitch. The axle assembly includes beam axle, a pair of wheels mounted for rotation about the beam axle, and a pair of upwardly oriented trough-shaped cradles spaced apart at a distance to receive the bottom portions of the pontoons. The hitch assembly is mounted relative to the lower surface of the pontoon boat deck, and includes a hitch bar extending from the front end of the deck which terminates in a cup-shaped receptacle to receive the ball hitch of the tow vehicle.
The hitch assembly is preferably permanently mounted relative to the lower surface of the deck through welding, mechanical fasteners, or a combination thereof. During a towing operation, the cradles are positioned to receive the bottom portions of the pontoons so as to achieve an acceptable tongue weight at the ball hitch of the towing vehicle on a level surface. This ordinarily occurs with the axle assembly positioned slightly rearward of the center of gravity of the pontoon boat. The apparatus further includes some additional feature such as a strap associated with each cradle that extends around the outer surface of each pontoon to hold the watercraft in the desired towing position.
To achieve a relatively narrow width during towing, the wheels are preferably mounted for rotation inside the cradles. The spacing of the cradles is also preferably adjustable to suit different watercraft having pontoons with different spacings. The spacing between the wheels may also be adjustable. To ensure transport by vehicles having a hitch ball lower that the bottom surface of the watercraft deck, the hitch bar includes a bend to position the watercraft at level attitude when the ball hitch is received by the receptacle. To stow the hitch bar when the watercraft is in use in the water, the hitch bar may be removably attachable to the hitch assembly with a locking pin, for example.
A method transporting a watercraft using the invention would include the steps of placing the apparatus in the water such that the cradles are just below the bottom portions of the pontoons due to the buoyancy of the axle assembly. If the inflated tires provide insufficient buoyancy, an auxiliary flotation device or devices may be added according to the invention. The pontoons are then fastened into the cradles and the hitch bar is connected to the towing vehicle, enabling the watercraft to be pulled out of the water. To assist in finding the correct position under the watercraft, the watercraft may be marked or devices may be added to the watercraft to fasten the cradles at the appropriate location.